Apparatus for sampling liquids



Dec. 18, 1934.

W. G. KENT.V

APPARATUS FOR SAMPLING LIQUIDS Filed May 51, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 18, 1934.

W. G. KENT APPARATUS FOR SAMPLING LIQUIDs Filed May 3l, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 @ahw Dec. 18, 1934. w G. KENT APPARATUS FOR SAMPLING LIQUIDS Filed May 31, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 l 4 .Infini/1 Patented Dec. 1s, 1934 1,985,173

yUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOB SABIILING LIQUIDS Walter George Kent, Luton, England, assigner to George Kent, Limited, London, England Application May 31, 1932, Serial No. 614,595 In Great Britain June 1, 1931 3 Claims. (Cl. 'I3-21) This invention relates to improvements in apdischarged sample is conveyed through a pipe 14 paratus for sampling fluids, i. e. extracting from to the top of a receiver 15 filled with water which a main ilow of fluid small quantities of fluid to is gradually displaced by the successive samples. enable the average quality of the fluid to be de- The displacement of the water is controlled by termined over a predetermined time period. a valve 18 controlled by a piston 17 subjected 5 The invention is particularly suitable for use through a pipe 18 to the pressure existing in the in sampling oil flowing in an oil main. In such oil main, the valve when open permitting water a case it is essential that the samples be kept to be displaced from the receiver and discharged under pressure during the whole of the operation through a pipe 19; the dimensions of the valve 16 1o in order that it shall not give of! gas or other and piston 17 are such that the valve 16 is main- 10 volatile constituents which would render the samtained closed to prevent the displacement of ples incorrect. It is to be understood that the water until the pressure in the receiver is greater application of the invention is not conned to than that existing in the oil main. use in sampling oil but may be applied for use As the speed of the impeller and the plunger in any case where it is desired to sample a iluid. are proportional to the rate of flow, the quantity 15 According to the present invention there is of the sample, during any given period, will be in provided a turbine, Pelton wheel, or other impeller direct proportion to the total quantity of oil or which is rotated at a speed proportional to the other fluid passed during that period, and will rate of flow of the fluid, and a plunger pump or therefore give an exact average of the quality of 20 the like which is actuated by the impeller to exthe iluid passed. In order to provide a variation 20 tract samples of the uid and to deliver the sam,- in the ratio of the size of sample to the amount ples to a receiver which is maintained under of fluid passed along the main, the gearing conpressure, the pressure preferably being greater necting the impeller shaft 5 to the crank 6 is prefthan that existing in the main. erably variable. The drive from the shaft 5 is It will be seen that as the rate of sampling is transmitted to the crank shaft 6n by means of 25 proportional to the rate of now of iluid (i. e. the gearing including a pinion 5* fixed on the shaft rate of sampling is determined by the quantity 5 and meshing constantly with a gear wheel 5b factor and not, as has hitherto frequently been fixed to a sleeve 5. A wide pinion 5d fixed to the the case, by a time factor alone without regard sleeve 5 meshes constantly with a gear 21 to quantity) the sample obtained will give the mounted on a spindle 23. A gear 20 likewise 30 exact average quality should the quality vary mounted on the spindle 23 is fixed to the gear i during the period of sampling. 21, and the gears 20 and 21 are adapted to mesh The invention is illustrated in the accompanywith gears 20* and 21' fixed to the crank shaft 6l. ing drawings inwhichFigure l is a front eleva- 'I'he gears 20 and 21, which are xed together,

tion with a coverplate removed, Figure 2 a vermay be positioned on the spindle 23 so as to bring 35 tical section and Figure 3 a vertical section. Figeither gear 20 into mesh with the gear 20e so as ure 4 is a detail view and Figure 5 is a vertical to provide a relatively low driving ratio, or 4the section of a modification. gear 21 into mesh with the gear 21* so as to pro- 1 is an impeller mounted in a casing 2 having Vide e relatively high driving ratio. The gears 40 inlet and outlet branches 3,. 4 respectively con- 20 and 21 are held in either DO-Sitien 0f adjUSt- 40 nected in shunt across an orifice in an oil main. ment by means 0f 8 100Se 0011er 22 which may be The Shaft 5 of the impeuer is connected vthrough positioned inside of the gears 20 and 2l, as shown reduction gearing (hereinafter referred to) to a in Figure 2, el' Outside 01' Said gears, in which crank 6 fixed to a shaft 6* and being coupled by latter position the gears 20 and 2l would be a link 'l to a small plunger pump 8 which is conlocated to the left of the position shown in Figure 45 tinuously actuated by the impeller, the pump 2, and the gear 20 would be in mesh with the being provided witha cup leather 8'. 'Ihe plunger gear 20". A wing nut 30 which can be removed pump 8 during its suction stroke draws in, past a to allow the gear wheels 20, 21 and the collar 22 non-return valve 9 a sample of oil conveyed by a to be removed is provided to hold the assembly pipe 10 from a chamber l1 which is in communiin either of the two positions, access to this being 50 cation with the impeller chamber through ports provided by a removable cover plate 31 on the 12. The plunger pump, during its delivery stroke casing. discharges the sample at a pressure greater than Further adjustments can be provided by enthat existing in the oil main, the discharge being abling the throw of the crank, and hence the diseffected past a second non-return valve 13. The placement of the plunger pump to be varied, this 55 being conveniently effected by slotting the crank as indicated at 32 and mounting-the crank pin so that it can be slid in the slot to the required position. The apparatus can be arranged to give for example, `a sample of one gallon per 24 hours at a normal rate of flow along the main when the adjustable crank is set in its mid-position, and one gear ratio is `being employed.l With the other gear ratio in use, and the other conditions remaining the same, the sample discharged can be arranged to be 2 gallons per day. Further variations of the size of sampling can be effected by altering the throw of the crank.

In place of employing the valves 9 and 13, cork faced valves 9' and 13' of the kind shown in Figure 4 may be employed.

Preferably a strainer 33 is provided to prevent grit and dirt from reaching the plunger pump. Lubrication of the gearing is effected by means of a grease gun applied to a nipple 40 which is connected to a lubricating passage 41.

Preferably the pump plunger 8 is provided with an extension 37 on the end of which is a soft iron armature 38, a casing for this extension being made of gunmetal. Attached to this casing is a pivotally mounted magnetv 39 the poles of which magnet are on the exterior side of the casing and on either side of the armature. As the pump plunger moves backwards and forwards, the armature moves with it, and the external magnet oscillates about its pivot, indicating that the sampler is Working and is not jammed for any reason. 'I'hus by observing this pivoted magnet an observer could see in a few minutes that the apparatus is in operation without having to wait a considerable period, as would be the case if the rate of sampling is about one gallon for 24 hours.

In a modified construction illustrated in Figure the sample receiver is in the form of a cylinder 34 tted with a loaded piston 35 which controls the displacement of water from the cylinder 34 through a pipe 34' and vpast a cork-faced nonreturn valve 36; the load on the piston 35 is suflls cient to exert a pressure greater than that in the main. A similar construction could be adapted, by omitting the pipe 34 and dispensing with the use of water for use in sampling liquids in which water forms a portion of the sample, and the water-oil ratio is desired, the displacement of water by oil being, of course, not practicable in such a case.

It will be seen that samples are maintained under pressure during the whole operation and also when they pass into the receiver so that the samples do not give olf gas or other volatile constituent.

Further advantages possessed by apparatus constructed according to the present invention are as follows:-

(a) The power islderived from the pressure in the main and does not require an electric supply or gas or air pressure. Y

(b) As the apparatus is located in shunt across an orifice in the main it is independent ofy the size of the main or flow for a given size of sample for a predetermined period. Moreover, the apparatus can be tltted or removed without opening the main or interfering withthe main flow, and similarly it can be opened for cleaning and adjustment without interfering with the main ow.

(c) The size of the sample` can be adjusted to suit local requirements.

(d) As no fluid runs to waste there is no fire risk as would otherwise occur when sampling oil,

in communication with the fluid from which.

samples are to be extracted, pump drivingmeans operatively connected to said pump and being actuated by flow of the fluid for driving the pump, a closed receiver for the pump discharge adapted tomaintain the extracted samples under pressure at least equal to that of the fluid from which the samples are extracted, and a conduit connection between the pump and said receiver, the discharge side of said pump, said conduit, and said receiver forming a system normally closed to communication with the atmosphere.

2. Apparatus for lsampling flowing fluids comprising in combination, a pump having its inlet in communication with the fluid from which samples are to be extracted, means operativelyconnected to said pump and being actuated by flow of the fluid for driving the pump, a closed receiver for the pump discharge, a conduit connection between the pump outlet and the receiver and a pressure relief valve connected to -said receiver and loaded to prevent escape of fluid from the receiver until the pressure therein has been built up to a value higher than that of the uid being sampled.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which means are provided for loading said pressure relief valve comprising a pressure responsive piston connected to said pressure relief valve, and means for subjecting said piston constantly to the pressure of the fluid being sampled.

WALTER GEORGE KENT. 

